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How to prepare for workplace fire emergencies

Preparing For Workplace Fire Emergencies

Every year, thousands of companies go through the financial distress and disruption of a fire in the workplace. Fire safety is not only essential for the home; workplaces are at high risk of a fire. Proper fire protection must be implemented in order to do the best we can to prevent fire and its effects. Fire protection means having a plan in place in conjunction with having fire preventative technology which includes firefighting equipment too.

Fire safety risk assessment is a valuable fire protection tool

If you want to safeguard your establishment against fire, the first step is to recognize the fire hazards. Fire needs a source of ignition which is heat and it needs fuel to consume as well as oxygen. The key to preventing a fire is to keep the fuel and sources of ignition as far apart as possible. A safety risk assessment gives you an accurate idea about well protected you are against fire and highlights the loopholes that you can identify and overcome. Fire safety risk assessment analyses a number of factors that can contribute to a fire which includes the emergency exit routes, warning systems, firefighting equipment, safe storage of flammable materials, fire safety training and an evacuation plan. Having a fire safety risk assessment is a good idea because it is a holistic approach towards fire protection.

Fire protection equipment

Having a fire extinguisher on standby is necessary even in the smallest establishments. If the workplace is larger, there should be a sufficient number of fire extinguishers to cover the premises in case of an emergency. In case of fire, the key is to be alerted as soon as the first sign of fire becomes apparent and fire alarms can do an excellent job at that. Having audible fire alarms will let everyone know about the fire at the earliest opportunity so escape isn’t delayed. Additionally, no fire protection equipment is complete without fire sprinklers. Fire sprinklers dispense water at an adequate pressure as soon as the fire is detected.

Fire evacuation and prevention plan

In case of an emergency, evacuation can become overwhelmingly difficult especially because everyone is not aware of their individual responsibilities. It is important to brief all the people in the workplace about the fire evacuation plan and making them aware of what they are supposed to do in response. This can make the evacuation a lot more effective and quicker. If there are any employees that require assistance, their escape routes should be adjusted accordingly.

It is important to communicate fire prevention plans with all the employees and stakeholders. A collective effort to minimize fire hazards is more impactful. A fire prevention plan lets all the employees know of their responsibility to identify flammable or combustible material and heat sources to prevent a potential fire.